From:
MilindapaƱha Milinda's Questions
AddhÄnavagga Time Chapter
1. DhammasantatipaƱha Continuity of States Question
RÄjÄ ÄhaāThe king asked:
ābhante nÄgasena, yo uppajjati, so eva so, udÄhu aƱƱoāti? āVenerable NÄgasena, is the one who arises the same or otherwise?ā
Thero ÄhaāThe elder said,
āna ca so, na ca aƱƱoāti. āNeither the same, nor otherwise.ā
āOpammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āPlease give me an analogy.ā
āTaį¹ kiį¹ maƱƱasi, mahÄrÄja, yadÄ tvaį¹ daharo taruį¹o mando uttÄnaseyyako ahosi, soyeva tvaį¹ etarahi mahantoāti? āWhat do you think, your majesty, when you were a child, young and tender and lying on your back, were you the same as you are now that you are grown?ā
āNa hi, bhante, aƱƱo so daharo taruį¹o mando uttÄnaseyyako ahosi, aƱƱo ahaį¹ etarahi mahantoāti. āCertainly not, venerable sir. That child, young and tender and lying on his back was one thing, and I now grown am another.ā
āEvaį¹ sante kho, mahÄrÄja, mÄtÄtipi na bhavissati, pitÄtipi na bhavissati, Äcariyotipi na bhavissati, sippavÄtipi na bhavissati, sÄ«lavÄtipi na bhavissati, paƱƱavÄtipi na bhavissati. āThat being so, your majesty, there would be no notion of mother, nor of father, nor of teacher, nor of a craftsperson, nor of a virtuous person, nor of a wise person.
Kiį¹ nu kho, mahÄrÄja, aĆ±Ć±Ä eva kalalassa mÄtÄ, aĆ±Ć±Ä abbudassa mÄtÄ, aĆ±Ć±Ä pesiyÄ mÄtÄ, aĆ±Ć±Ä ghanassa mÄtÄ, aĆ±Ć±Ä khuddakassa mÄtÄ, aĆ±Ć±Ä mahantassa mÄtÄ, aƱƱo sippaį¹ sikkhati, aƱƱo sikkhito bhavati, aƱƱo pÄpakammaį¹ karoti, aƱƱassa hatthapÄdÄ chijjantÄ«āti? Can it be, your majesty, that the mother of the embryo is different from the mother at the next foetal stage, which is different from the mother of following foetal stages, that the mother of a child is different from the mother of the grown person, that one who trains in a craft is different from the one who is trained, that the one who commits an evil deed is different from the one whose hands and feet are cut off?ā
āNa hi, bhante. āCertainly not, venerable sir.
Tvaį¹ pana, bhante, evaį¹ vutte, kiį¹ vadeyyÄsÄ«āti? And what would you say if somebody said this to be so?ā
Thero ÄhaāThe elder said,
āahaƱƱeva kho, mahÄrÄja, daharo ahosiį¹ taruį¹o mando uttÄnaseyyako, ahaƱƱeva etarahi mahanto, imameva kÄyaį¹ nissÄya sabbe te ekasaį¹
gahitÄāti. āIt was just I, your majesty, who was a child, young and tender and lying on my back, and now it is just I who has grown, and all these states are held together dependent on just this body.ā
āBhiyyo opammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āGive me another analogy.ā
āYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, kocideva puriso padÄ«paį¹ padÄ«peyya, kiį¹ so sabbarattiį¹ padÄ«peyyÄāti? āJust as, your majesty, some person might light a lamp, might it stay lit all night?ā
āÄma, bhante, sabbarattiį¹ padÄ«peyyÄāti. āYes, venerable sir, it might stay lit all night.ā
āKiį¹ nu kho, mahÄrÄja, yÄ purime yÄme acci, sÄ majjhime yÄme accÄ«āti? āIs it so, your majesty, that the flame in the first watch of the night is the same as that in the middle watch?ā
āNa hi, bhanteāti. āCertainly not, venerable sir.ā
āYÄ majjhime yÄme acci, sÄ pacchime yÄme accÄ«āti? āIs the flame in the middle watch of the night the same as that in the last watch?ā
āNa hi, bhanteāti. āCertainly not, venerable sir.ā
āKiį¹ nu kho, mahÄrÄja, aƱƱo so ahosi purime yÄme padÄ«po, aƱƱo majjhime yÄme padÄ«po, aƱƱo pacchime yÄme padÄ«poāti? āIs it then so, your majesty, that the lamp in the first watch of the night is different from that in the middle watch, which is different from that in the last watch?ā
āNa hi, bhante, taį¹yeva nissÄya sabbarattiį¹ padÄ«pitoāti. āCertainly not, venerable sir. It was burning all through the night dependent on just itself.ā
āEvameva kho, mahÄrÄja, dhammasantati sandahati, aƱƱo uppajjati, aƱƱo nirujjhati, apubbaį¹ acarimaį¹ viya sandahati, tena na ca so, na ca aƱƱo, purimaviƱƱÄį¹e pacchimaviƱƱÄį¹aį¹ saį¹
gahaį¹ gacchatÄ«āti. āIn the same way, your majesty, a continuity of states runs on; as one arises, another ceases. It runs on like there was no before and no after. Consequently, it is neither the same nor the other and the last consciousness is comprised of the first consciousness.ā
āBhiyyo opammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āGive me another analogy.ā
āYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, khÄ«raį¹ duyhamÄnaį¹ kÄlantarena dadhi parivatteyya, dadhito navanÄ«taį¹, navanÄ«tato ghataį¹ parivatteyya, yo nu kho, mahÄrÄja, evaį¹ vadeyya āyaį¹yeva khÄ«raį¹ taį¹yeva dadhi, yaį¹yeva dadhi taį¹yeva navanÄ«taį¹, yaį¹yeva navanÄ«taį¹ taį¹yeva ghatanāti, sammÄ nu kho so, mahÄrÄja, vadamÄno vadeyyÄāti? āJust as, your majesty, milk some time after being milked from a cow would turn to curds, and from curds into butter, and from butter to ghee, would someone who might say, āThat milk is those curds, those curds is that butter, that butter is that ghee,ā be speaking rightly?ā
āNa hi, bhante, taį¹yeva nissÄya sambhÅ«tanāti. āCertainly not, venerable sir, they come into being because of it.ā
āEvameva kho, mahÄrÄja, dhammasantati sandahati, aƱƱo uppajjati, aƱƱo nirujjhati, apubbaį¹ acarimaį¹ viya sandahati, tena na ca so, na ca aƱƱo, purimaviƱƱÄį¹e pacchimaviƱƱÄį¹aį¹ saį¹
gahaį¹ gacchatÄ«āti. āIn the same way, your majesty, a continuity of states runs on; as one arises, another ceases. It runs on like there was no before and no after. Consequently, it is neither the same nor the other and the last consciousness is comprised of the first consciousness.ā
āKallosi, bhante nÄgasenÄāti. āYou are clever, venerable NÄgasena!ā
DhammasantatipaƱho paį¹hamo. Continuity of States Question first